Have a Hart pleads Pearce

ENGLAND will appeal against penalty shoot-out hero Joe Hart’s yellow card that would rule him out of Monday night’s European Under-21 Championship final against Germany.

Published 27th June 2009

Joe Hart

Goalkeeper Hart saved a Sweden spot-kick and scored himself, as England overcame their shoot-out curse to beat the hosts 5-4 on penalties after squandering a three-goal lead in normal time.

But Hart was booked by referee Cuneyt Cakir during the shoot-out for talking to his opposite number Johan Dahlin, something he denies. “We will appeal against his booking,” said England boss Stuart Pearce.

“If UEFA want the best players in the final at these tournaments, then maybe we have a case. To book a keeper for ungentlemanly conduct to miss the final is a bit unfair when you have played two-and-a-bit hours, four matches already in the tournament and are involved in a shoot-out.”

A UEFA spokesman claimed the appeal is likely to fall on deaf ears but Hart added: “Of course I am hopeful of winning the appeal.

“The referee told me not to speak, so I didn’t. Hopefully I’ll still be able to play but I’m not going to hold my breath.

“Nobody talked. Neither of the goalkeepers were speaking – it was a silent shoot-out.”

Strikers Gabi Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell will miss the final through suspension.